Wichita eagle., 1887-10-07

l party, Wnlle IL was IN unQlSputeQ cOntrC
f of the government, In the matter Of Ian
e grants to railroads, in which 1t was bu
carrying out the policy established by tn
! Democratic party when 1t controlled tn
, government. Up to 1862 the largest hal
, of the territory of the United States Wa
practically desert, with little likelihood o
its being anything else for an indifnite pc
Rod. Having gigantic war on Its hand
at that time, and not having the mean
with which TO build railroad across thi
vast waste Of territory to the Pacific coast
the need for which was becoming more an6
more pressing every day; and having abun
dant precedent in similar acts Of the GOV.
eminent hitherto, what was more reason
able or natural than for it to utilize the
i means 1t had to secure the construction of
the needed lines Of transcontInental commu,
nications, means Qand) but for its use for
that purpose and its accomplishment must
have remained valueless Indefinitely?
But securing these Indispensable lines of
communication with the Pacific coast and
the trans Pacific countries is not the only
nor greatest benefit derived from the utili-
cation Of the means employed to secure
their construction. 1t had the effect to at
once open up for settlement an almost
illmitable territory. aaaa made !. possible te
transform the "Great American Desert"
as 1t was known, INTO the finest agri-
ci.itura:s section of the country, pro-
viding happy homes for thousands
and tens of thousands Of families,
who otherwise must have remained, many
Of them, In over crowded localities, their
condition nnavoidably growing from bad
to worse ali the while. Not only SO, but
the distribution of population over large
portion of the country thus made accessi-
bic, increased the producing capacity of
the country in commodities needful for
other sections of our own country and
added largely to the surplus for export,
and at the came time created new market
for the products OF other portions of the
country.
Very much of this talk about the reck-
less waste of the public domain In subsidiz-
ing railroads Is the merest fummery and
unworthy of serious consideration. There
is only one question In 1t, and that is
whether 1t were better to permit the vast
area of the country involved In the matter
TO remain the barren waste Is was, or to use
a portion of 1t to bring 1t all into use, or at
least place 1t where it may be used.
A considerable portion of the state of
Illinois was considered uninbabiable until
the Central Railroad company received g
grant of land from the government to
build line of road into and through such
portion. The result was to carry almost
Immediately thrifty population thithel
which speedily developed it into the richest
and most desirable portion Of the state,
and the expediency not to say wisdom OF
the policy is attested today by the presen &c
there of prosperous and contenied popu-
lation.
We need not go to Illinois, however, fol
an illustration. We have 1t all around US.
T be same principle that obtained In the
granting Of lands by the government tC
railroads has been employed by the people
of Kansas in encouraging railroad con
struction and other enterprises that have
developed the state and made 1t the wonder
of the continent. The principle is extant;
the whole community is imbued with 1t
The action Of the farmer in shipping hi.
surplus grain or stock to market, although
1. takes one buShel Of corn 10 get another
there, is but the pIomptings Of the princi
pie that sc'usted the government In making
land grants to railroads, and the over zeal
Gus, self constituted champions of the PEG
pie Democrats, thus engaged write them
selves down as set Of brsying assess o.
consummate igporamuses for thus presum
ing upon the intelligence of the people
As a party of progress snd development
and Of liberal policy In the advancement 81
the best interests OF the people when Corn
United 10 lis hands the Republican party
has no apologies to offer It's enemies. and
bushes only for the blunders of those who
oppose 1t.
~, sra